COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION
• Meaning of Communication
• Approaches
• Types
• Written and Oral Communication
• Verbal and Non- Verbal Communication
• Barriers to Communication
• How to avoid these
 Etymology
(=the study of the origin of words )

• The word ‘Communication’ is derived from

the Latin word ‘communis’ which means
common.
• If someone affects a communication, they
have established a common ground of
understanding. Thus, communication involves
imparting a common idea and covers all types
of behavior resulting therefrom
MEANING OF COMMUNICATION
• According to Newman and Summer,
“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas,
opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
• It is the process of exchanging information usually
through a common system of symbols. It takes a
wide variety of forms – from two people having face-
to-face conversation to handshake, mechanical and
electrical signals and to messages sent over the
global telecommunication networks.
 Meaning (Cont.)
• Allen, “Communication is the sum of all the things, one
person does when he wants to create understanding in the
mind of another. It involves a systematic and continuous
process of telling, listening and understanding.”
• Communication may be defined as an interchange of thought
or information to bring about mutual understanding and
confidence. It is the exchange of facts, ideas, and viewpoints
which brings about commonness of interest, purpose and
efforts. Common forms of communication include - speaking,
writing, signaling, gesturing and broadcasting.
Characteristics of Communication
• 1. Two-way process: Communication is possible only when
there are at least two people - One sender and the other
receiver.
• 2. Information Sharing and Understanding : It involves both-
transfer of information and understanding between two or
more persons. This means that communication does not
simply happen because information has been transferred to
him as it was intended to be. Thus, UNDERSTANDING is an
indispensable feature of communication
• 3. Verbal and Non- Verbal : Communication is not restricted
to transfer of information and understanding through words
alone. A manager can communicate through symbols,
gestures and actions which are non-verbal in nature.
 Characteristics of Communication (cont.)
4. Circular Flow: The process of communication starts when the
sender transmits a message to the receiver and is completed
when the receiver sends the feedback to the sender as shown in
the image on the next slide.
5. Goal Oriented: The end result of communication is
understanding between the sender and the receiver of
information.
6. Continuous Process: Exchange of ideas and opinions among
persons is an ongoing process in business and non-business
organizations. Communication is as important in the
organization as flow of blood in the human body.
7. Pervasive Activity: it takes place at all levels (top, middle, low)
and in all functional areas (production, finance, marketing
personnel etc.) of a business enterprise.
Communication: Two-way process
• Communication is a process which involves a sender of
message and a receiver. It is complete only when the receiver
is able to interpret the message as desired by the sender and
responds to it.
• It includes sending of a message and the response to that
message
• The receiver may or may not agree with the point of view of
the sender of the message.
• However, for communication to be complete, the receiver
must understand the message in the same sense as intended
by the sender.
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• As shown in the image, the process of communication begins when one
person (the sender) wants to transmit a fact, idea, opinion or other
information to someone else (the receiver)
• This fact, idea or other information has meaning to the sender. Whether it
be simple and concrete or complex and abstract. The next step is to
translate or convert the message into a language which reflects the idea.
That is, the must be encoded. The encoding process is influenced by the
content of the message, the familiarity of sender and receiver and other
situational factors.
• After the message has been encoded, it is transmitted through an
appropriate channel or medium. Common channels in organization include
meetings, memos, letters, reports, e-mail and telephone calls. After the
message is received, it is decoded, that is, the receiver translates the
message into terms meaningful to them.
 Elements of communication
1. Sender or Communicator : the person who feels the
need to express certain ideas or thoughts is known as
communicator or sender. By initiating the message, the
communicator attempts to achieve understanding and
change in the behavior of the receiver.
2. Encoding of Message : Message is the subject-matter of
any communication. It may involve any fact, idea or
information. It must exist in the mind of the
communicator if communication is to take place. Encoding
is the process by which the sender translates his/her
thoughts and ideas into appropriate message, using the
medium that is shared between the sender and the
receiver.
 Elements (Cont.)
The sender of the information organizes his idea or thought into a
series of symbols (words, signs etc. ) which they feel will
communicate to the intended receiver or receivers.
Communication may also take place through physical gestures.

3. Communication Channel : The communicator has to choose

the channel for sending the information. Communication channel
is the media through which the message passes. It is the link that
connects the sender and the receiver. Air, sight and sound are the
important communication channels. The receiver must be
considered while selecting a channel. Some people respond
better to formal letters or communications which are officially
recognized by the organization and are known as formal channels.
 Elements (Cont.)
• 4. Receiver : The person who receives the message is called
receiver. The communication process is incomplete without the
existence of the receiver of the message. It is the receiver who
receives and tries to understand the message.
• 5. Decoding : Once the message reaches the receiver, it can
serve its purpose only if, it is understood. Decoding is the
process of comprehending the meaning and sense of the
message so that it registers in the mind of the receiver as an
understandable idea. Decoding depends on the skills of the
receiver as also on the quality of encoding of the sender.
Further, the reception of the message is better if there is no or a
few interferences in the transmittal. Interference or ‘noise’, as it
is referred to in the oral communication context, reduces the
quality of the incoming message and may lead to faulty
decoding.
 Elements (Cont.)
• 6. Feedback : A communication often leads to other communications. A
message sent is followed by a reaction or response from the receiver, which
requires another message to be communicated by the sender, and so on.
The reaction or response of the receiver is known as feedback. The process
of communication thus becomes a circular process as shown in the image
before. Feedback confirms the receipt of message by the receiver. The
feedback may be as simple as a phone call from the prospective client
expressing interest in the business proposal or as complex as a written brief
on a complicated point of law sent from an attorney to a judge. An
employee can respond to the manager’s directions by a verbal or written
response indicating that he or she does or does not understand the
message. Feedback could also be non-verbal.
• Noise : Noise is a sort of interfering sound in the communication process
anywhere along the way from the sender to the receiver and vice versa. It
can be the sound of running bus, two persons talking close at hand or
someone shouting around. Noise of any kind has the potential of creating
disruption or barrier to effective communication. It can adversely affect the
effectiveness of communication. The sources of noise can be both internal
and external. Noise within the organization can be controlled, but it is very
difficult to control the external noise.
 Communication : Two way
• process
Two-way communication takes place when the receiver
provides feedback to the sender. For instance, giving an
instruction to a subordinate and receiving its acceptance is an
example of two-way communication. On the other hand, in
case of one-way communication, feedback is totally absent.
Here, the sender communicates without expecting or getting
feedback from the receiver. One-way communication takes less
time than two-way communication.
• Two way communication is more effective than one-way
communication. The feedback allows the sender to refine
his/her communication so that it becomes more precise and
accurate.
• Receiver’s confidence is higher in case of two-way
communication as he/she can ask questions and seek
clarifications.